The federal government said Friday that marijuana has no accepted medical use and should be considered armed and dangerous like heroin.  Marijuana use was recently approved by many states including California to treat medical conditions including chronic pain.

Global research revealed that marijuana effectively treated conditions such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, prompting supporters rally the government to found "medical marijuana."  Understandably, patients using cannabis in order to relieve chronic pain are outraged.

Joe Elford, chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access said, "We have foiled the government's strategy of delay, and we can now go head-to-head on the merits."  He added, "We have foiled the government's strategy of delay, and we can now go head-to-head on the merits," and that he was not surprised by the decision because Obama said that he refuses to tolerate large scale commercial cultivation of marijuana.

Elford claimed that studies suggest that marijuana enables patients undergoing chemotherapy to eat because of its positive effect on appetite.

The Obama administration has proompted medicinal marijuana advocates to appeal to the federal courts.  The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration enabled the decision, only two months after advocates asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to respond to their petition.

DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart rejected its usage because of its "high potential for abuse."  Marijuana is also considered a "gateway drug" that often leads to cravings for more potent drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Leonhart concluded, "At this time, the known risks of marijuana use have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and efficacy."

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